Posts Tagged ‘Hendrick’s Gin’

1st Annual Dame Hall of Fame Luncheon is on July 18th
By Francine Cohen

Follow the hats on July 18th and you’ll notice that the ladies are at it again – celebrating their past accomplishments and looking towards an even brighter future that will be revealed at this year’s Dame Hall of Fame luncheon at Tales of the Cocktail 2013 (www.talesofthecocktail.com). This the day for some serious celebrating of the strides women have made in the spirits industry, and all are welcome at this celebratory luncheon held at the Omni Royal Orleans Hotel (www.omnihotels.com/FindAHotel/neworleansroyalorleans).

Returning sponsor Hollis Bulleit, World Ambassador for Bulleit Bourbon & Rye, explains why she and her brand are coming back for the sophomore year of this event that is co-sponsored by LUPEC (Ladies United for the Preservation of Endangered Cocktails), “The Dame Hall of Fame means to me that I get to celebrate with my peers the breaking of another glass ceiling. It is a place for me to be proud of my accomplishments and taking the risk to add a feminine perspective and queer perspective in an industry that up until quite recently had a lot of rules on the right way to enjoy brown spirits.”

Having women lead the way on the right way to enjoy brown spirits, and spirits of every hue, is a far cry from the days when when women weren’t even allowed in bars. Now they’re shaking up the entire industry as mixologists, bar owners, ambassadors and more. It wouldn’t be possible without the ongoing dialogue and mentorship that LUPEC engenders throughout the year and, since LUPEC events are not simply brand commercials, that is why organizers decided to add an engaging educational component to this year’s luncheon via a Q&A session that will foster spirited conversation. LUPEC NYC President Lynnette Marrero notes, “It is important for LUPEC events at Tales of the Cocktail to be a chance for brands to interact with our members and to share their unique brand stories with our fan base.”

This year, Tales of the Cocktail celebrated its tenth birthday by doing what it does best: throwing a conference for the spirits industry that is unrivaled in its scope and size, and unmatched in its dedication to providing the bar industry with a forum to share ideas, learn from its legends, try new products, and move itself forward.

I could wax poetic about the program, which under the close supervision of founder Ann Tuennerman (aka: Mrs. Cocktail) has grown in ten years from being a one-day happy hour and dinner to a six-day extravaganza of seminars, tasting rooms, awards programs, meet and greets, parties, and more parties. But we all know that, and there are plenty of other columns that can tell you what seminars were new this year, what products were launched, and who won what award.

Instead, I’d just like to let you know what I considered to be the most interesting experiences and trends at Tales this year. So let’s get to it…

Most interesting spirits trend: Anything white. Whether it was white whiskey or moonshine, Pisco (either kind, see below), grappa, white rum, gin, or some new vodka made from a particular type of grain grown only on Mars, white spirits seems to be all the rage this year with the mixologist set, who are using it to create wonderfully crafted, clean, well thought-out cocktails. Cheers to that!

Honorable mention should go out to the liqueur category. Four wonderful products stormed Tales this year: Mandarine Napoléon was re-introduced, Cognac Ferrand’s Dry Orange Curacao, which made its debut earlier this year, won best new product at the Awards, Lillet’s delightful Lillet Rose made a big splash (and was also runner-up to Ferrand’s Dry Curacao), and Marie Brizard showcased it’s new Essence line of liqueurs during its U.S. Cocktail Competition Finals on Friday, at which, I am honored to say, I was a judge.

Marie Brizard winner Robert Montero and his Sunny Crusta

Most interesting seminar: Without a doubt, the most interesting, and also most entertaining, seminar I attended was The Pisco Wars: Peru vs. Chile since 1613. These two countries have been vying for Pisco dominance and authenticity for generations, and that all came to a head in

Or how one brand took the juice out of the bottle for a tangible experience
By Vincenza Di Maggio
Photos by Fine Young Man Productions

Have you ever taken Lewis Carroll’s advice and tried believing in “as many as six impossible things before breakfast?” You probably have without even realizing it; for instance, during your brainstorming meeting as you fiddle with your pencil and try to “think outside of the box,” racking your brain for creative ways to market your brand to an audience.

Well, here’s some inspiration for you… Imagine an enchanted forest growing inside of a warehouse, occupied by a bar built inside of a tree trunk measuring nearly 10 feet in circumference, a bearded lady serving cocktails out of a wishing well, a flourishing garden of giant sized mushrooms, a fountain of flowing water infused with cucumbers and rose petals, and wood sprites frolicking about, all the while paying no mind to the fact that it is snowing… indoors… as sparkling butterflies flutter from tree to tree.

Impossible, right? Think again.

Hendrick’s did it. The delightfully curious Hendrick’s Gin (www.hendricksgin.com) – named the world’s best gin by the Wall Street Journal (www.online.wsj.com) – took creative thinking to a whole new level and proved that no idea is too outlandish.

Hendrick's Brand Ambassador, Jim Ryan

Anything is possible. So believes Joanne Birkitt, Senior Brand Manager for Hendrick’s Gin who explains, “We created the concept for the Enchanted Forest of Curiosities last year as a unique way through which to invite consumers to experience a journey into the world of Hendrick’s. That journey is intriguing, unexpected, peculiar and, of course, filled with

Kansas City on the radar again this week. Suddenly we’re noticing something magical happening in this Midwestern town from killer restaurants (www.insidefandb.com/2011/08/eat-here-now-kansas-city) to a burgeoning cocktail festival that, on August 21st, marks its fifth year; behold, the 5th Annual Greater Kansas City Bartending Competition.

Set in the heartland where cattle is as important as cocktails, a whole new drinks fest is on the rise. Though the name belies a single event, don’t be fooled. This is not just some one night wonder competition that’s here and gone. The 5th Annual Greater Kansas City Bartending Competition is a week-long celebration of a lovingly crafted drinks culture that keeps pace with the rest of the country.

Ryan Maybee, the bartender/restaurateur behind Manifesto (www.theriegerkc.com) and festival co-founder, shares a bit about his brainchild for his hometown that next year will bear the name Paris of the Plains Cocktail Fest in honor of the nickname bestowed upon Kansas City during the Jazz Age by journalist Edward Morrow. He notes, “We’re branding it next year to indicate that it’s a festival and not just a competition. We think it’s great for Kansas City and for the industry. This year the competition itself will happen Sunday, August 21st; it starts at 7:00 p.m. and goes until 10:00 and throughout the evening food will be served and we’ve got live music and burlesque. But the week of that event – starting the prior Monday – there are going to be cocktail parties and tastings going on all around town. It will actually culminate with the competition.”

The competition features 13 contestants from Kansas City, and nearby cities

Charlotte Voisey doesn’t look back. Ask her why, and she’ll tell you it has nothing to do with her ambitions. It’s more of a physical thing. It causes her no pain (don’t worry, her neck is fine), and actually makes her laugh.

Laughter comes easily to Charlotte. With her easygoing nature and hardworking spirit, she’s found a niche in the world of spirits that few get the opportunity to attain, and she’s making the most of it. As Portfolio Ambassador and award winning “Company Mixologist” for William Grant & Sons, Charlotte is in charge of promotions for a number of brands, most visibly, Hendrick’s Gin, one of the leaders in the wave of new world gins that have taken the cocktail world by storm over the last few years, and to say that she is good at what she does, is an understatement. Charlotte is as equally at home shaking cocktails behind a bar or in competitions, as she is teaching in front of a crowd, and her enthusiasm draws you in. “You’ll find I‘m not shy,” she says. A few minutes in conversation with her, and you’ll realize just how right she is.

Raised in London, England, Charlotte hails from a family of strong minds; all of whom have chosen a different path to their success (her mother is a top graphic designer, and her sister is a physics professor at Cambridge), so it’s no surprise that Charlotte ended up at the top of her chosen profession.

After majoring in international hospitality in university, Charlotte cut her teeth behind the bar in some of the London’s up and coming establishments, eventually working her way up to the management level. After a while, finding she loved the business, but also wanting to see the world a bit,